The 2011 NFL Draft is in the books and the Seattle Seahawks came away with nine picks. In addition to the picks, Seattle did make a bit of a shrewd trade, moving out of the second round and swapping late-round picks with Detroit to move up in the 5th, 6th and 7th rounds. The trade itself may have been the best part of the draft for the Seahawks, who addressed needs but never found an impact player.
Here are the picks and quick descriptions.
Round one, pick No. 25: Seattle Seahawks draft James Carpenter
This one was a reach, but the Seahawks loved the big run-blocking tackle from Alabama. The pick has new offensive line coach Tom Cable’s fingerprints all over it, but I can’t help but think Seattle left talent on the board.
Round two, pick No. 57: Seattle Seahawks trade 2nd, 5th and 7th round picks to Detroit Lions for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th round picks.
A solid, if unspectacular move in trading back, adding a pick and moving up in the later rounds. The Seahawks failed to trade down in the first round, but I’d call this a successful move.
Round three, pick No. 11 (via Detroit): Seattle Seahawks select John Moffitt
Another pick that has Tom Cable’s fingerprints all over it. Moffitt will slide-in at guard this season and has an immediate starting spot on the line. But, once again, it was a reach.
Fourth round, pick No. 99 overall: Seattle Seahawks select K.J. Wright, linebacker from Mississippi State
The Seahawks need depth at linebacker and Wright provides it. He should be playing at the LEO spot.
Fourth Round, pick No. 107: Seattle Seahawks select Kris Durham, wide receiver from Georgia
A big receiver that could be a redzone target for whoever is playing quarterback in Seattle next year. Durham was a reach and could have been available in the sixth, or even seventh, round.
Fifth round, pick No. 23: Seattle Seahawks select Richard Sherman, cornerback from Stanford
And here the defensive back run begins. Seattle needed depth and replacements at cornerback, and began to solve the problem here. He’s big and should be able to play right away, either on special teams or in the rotation.
Fifth round, pick No. 25: Seattle Seahawks select Mark Legree, safety from Appalachian State
A ball-hawking safety is always a nice addition and LeGree is just that. He had the most interceptions in the FCS last season.
Sixth round, pick No. 8: Seattle Seahawks select Byron Maxwell, cornerback from Clemson
The final cornerback pick. Maxwell will add competition, but may just be training camp fodder.
Round seven, pick No. 2: Seattle Seahawks select Lazarius “Pep” Levingston, defensive end from LSU
Finally, Seattle went after a defensive lineman, a position of need right away. However, he’s unlikely to make an impact and may be nothing more than depth at the spot Red Bryant occupies.
Round seven, pick No. 39: Seattle Seahawks select Malcolm Smith, linebacker from USC
And, again, depth at the linebacker spot.
Check out the rest of our 2011 NFL Draft grades to get caught up on all the picks. We'll be covering the latest news and rumors throughout the entire process in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.